On Sunday, I got to check out the annual Pride Parade along Beach Avenue in Downtown Vancouver.

This was the 7th time I attended the Pride parade, and as usual, it was quite a spectacle. There wasn’t really anything that new, and the crowd seemed to be even a bit bigger than usual (someone told me there was an estimated 600,000 people there), making it almost impossible to see much, but it was still interesting to get a glimse of some of the crazy floats going by. 

The TD Canada Trust float. Click to enlarge.

Oasis float - any float that has a girl dancing in a bikini is a winner

You know an event is really big whenever Batman and Spiderman make a guest appearance

I think this blue man was in The Watchmen

The Pride Parade, 2010

If you happened to miss the Pride Parade this year, don’t worry, because it will be back again next year, and you’ll get to see all the same things again. The Pride parade usually takes place on the first Sunday of August, the day after the Celebration of Light fireworks competition.

For more information about the Pride Parade, it’s history, and it’s meaning, you can check out the official site at www.vancouverpride.ca

It’s that time of the year again, when people from all over the Metro Vancouver area swarm into the downtown core and Kitsilano area to feast their eyes on the most exciting fireworks show in Western Canada. 

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this annual fireworks competition, this is actually a musical fireworks show that takes place during a timespan of around 25 minutes. So if you are looking for a non-stop barrage of fireworks in the sky with no purpose, you might be disappointed. This is a more artistic kind of fireworks show with slow moments that build up to exciting moments, and each show has a theme. 

Celebration of Light fireworks show at English Bay

The Celebration of Light competition takes place on four separate days, with 3 and sometimes 4 different countries competing with their own special arrangements and themes. It always begins on a Wednesday, and then is followed by another show on Saturday, and then Wednesday and Saturday again. When only 3 countries compete, the final Saturday show will be what is called the Finale night when the other countries use a portion of their presentation to form another full 25 minute fireworks show. 

This year, we are lucky, because 4 different countries are competing. The reason I say that is because I have never really been a fan of the Finale show. The individual shows are usually pretty good, but when they try to mix up the themes into a finale, it just never seems to work. In fact, I’m not even interested in watching any more finale shows. Since 4 countries are competing this  year, though, there will be a full presentation from that country on day 4, and if it is the same as other years when there were 4 countries competiting, that will be followed by a short finale with an especially large amount of fireworks going off at once. 

This year, the competing countries for the Celebration of Light fireworks show are:
(copied from the official Celebration of Light website) 

U.S.A.

Spain

Mexico

China

One more thing I should mention is that if you want to get some drinks with your friends after the fireworks show, it’s extremely difficult to find a place. Most of the restaurants in the Davie Street area, for example, have people standing in the entrances blocking people from entering. You might get lucky, but your best bet is to go to a place that is a bit out of the way from the columns of crowds emptying out of the downtown area.

For more information about the Celebration of Light firworks event, you can check out the offical website here.

Thanks to a stroke of luck, I was able to catch a glimpse of this year’s World Naked Bike Ride in Vancouver.

I actually had no idea at all that this was going to be happening on Saturday, June 12, and I was just on my way back from getting that complete waste of money AirCare checkup, when all of a sudden, the naked bike riders started riding by right through the intersection I was stopped at.

2010 World Naked Bike Ride heading down Granville at Davie

The World Naked Bike Ride is an event that started in Vancouver back in 2002 as an anti-war protest. Since then, it has blossomed into a worldwide event held in 70 cities in 25 countries around the world. It’s current purpose is supposedly a protest against oil dependency and car culture.

The ad for this year's World Naked Bike Ride, beginning at Sunset Beach at the corner of Beach Avenue and Bute Street

Personally, I think many of these people are the type who just want to be naked in public for any reason, and any message or purpose behind it is secondary. Doing stunts like this also won’t make a bit of difference in the world. There is a girl in my picture in the front with the words “Stop Oil Spill” painted in red on her leg. That’s all pretty nice, but what kind of effect is this really going to have? If the U.S. government can’t do anything about it, what kind of a difference can a naked girl on a bike make? Still, I think it’s all quite interesting and funny to see, and yet another cool event that makes Vancouver a special place.

Throughout the year, Granville Island Brewing releases a variety of seasonal brews for beer fans to enjoy, such as the Rogers Chocolate Stout, the Raspberry Wheat, and the Ginger Beer. Yesterday, they had a party to celebrate the release of this year’s Ginger Beer, and I was invited to attend.

Photo by Yang Ji Hye

I found out about this party through a website called Meetup.com. If you’re not familiar with Meetup.com, it’s a site where you can find a group for just about any interest or topic imaginable. You can choose to join some groups that interest you, and then the fun starts. At least once a month, almost every group will have what is called a meetup where you have a chance to meet new people with similar interests in different locations. Yesterday, it was time for The Vancouver Beer Meetup Group‘s meetup, and the event was the Ginger Beer party held at Granville Island Brewing on Granville Island.

There were more people there than expected. The meetup said it had space for just 25 people, but there must have been at least 50 people there. There were times when it was difficult to get to the bar to order another beer. That wasn’t so bad, though, because the people there were really easy to talk to, and I found myself getting into multiple conversations on my way to get my next beer.

Our group took over most of the space

The Ginger Beer did not disappoint. It wasn’t my favorite beer of all time, that’s for certain, but I still enjoyed it. It had a nice crisp taste, and was so light. I joked with some people saying that it tasted as though someone had mixed a can of gingerale with a lager. It actually did taste a bit like that, but better, of course.

Anyway, it was a really good party, and I was able to meet several new people. I even went out with a small group from the party to Dockside Pub after that so we could enjoy even more craft beer. I guess I drank a bit too much there, though, because I don’t remember going home.

It seems like just yesterday that I was heading out to try to catch a glimpse of singer Michael Buble carrying the Olympic torch down the street near my apartment. That was the moment I finally started to get really excited about the Olympics. Then the next day, when I was out at a pub with a bunch of my friends to watch the Opening Ceremonies, and when that snowboarder jumped through the Olympic rings and announced the beginning of the Winter Games, it finally hit me that this biggest event in Vancouver’s history, that we had been waiting and preparing for since 2003, had finally arrived.

The Olympic cauldron on the Waterfront was lit by hockey legend Wayne Gretzky to conclude the Opening Ceremonies

Well, it was definitely an interesting 17 days, and though part of me is a bit sad, I’m also a bit relieved that the Vancouver 2010 Olympics are now over.

We were lucky to get some excellent weather in Vancouver during the Olympics. I was really worried that it might be foggy and rainy every day, as what often happens during the winter months here, but the weather, for the most part, was fantastic. So our Olympic visitors were able to experience the sunny Vancouver that we all love, and the temperatures were so warm, people were labeling the Olympics as the “Spring Olympics” (consequently causing tons of problems with the snow for the events on Cypress Mountain).

I tried my best to head out and see most of the Olympic pavilions, houses, and attractions around the city. To my dismay, however, the lineups were usually way too long. Two of the longest were for the Royal Canadian Mint pavilion, where people could touch the Olympic medals, and the one for the Zip Line, that required a 7+ hour wait at times.

Overlooking Science World (Sochi House during the Olympics)

Overlooking Quebec and Saskatchewan Houses from near Sochi House

In front of Sochi House. Shown here is the beginning of the typical multi-hour lineup to get into anything worth checking out.

I wish I could have checked out more of the pavilions from the inside, but most lineups would have forced me to wait at least an hour to get inside. Quebec and Ontario Houses weren’t too bad, but places like Saskatchewan House, Sochi House, Atlantic Canada House, and Irish House were usually too crazy to get inside.

Inside Ontario House. We were lucky to see a live cooking show, featuring Anna Olson from the Food Network. She was cooking an English Trifle dessert, and we got to try it and a glass of ice wine for free.

Canada Hockey House next to Ontario House -- only for the rich or most devoted hockey fans, with costs starting at $100 (including food) to enter.

It was nice to see Vancouver as the center of the world for a couple of weeks. For those who didn’t know about Vancouver before coming here, I’m certain they will never be forgetting it. I could really feel a new appreciation for this city as I imagined how it must appear to people from other countries who had never been here before. The athletes staying at the Olympic Village were about the luckiest since they got to live in condos overlooking False Creek and downtown during their stay here.

The Olympic Village, where many of the athletes stayed while in Vancouver

One of the worst things about the Olympics was trying to get into my favorite restaurants. During almost any game of interest, especially hockey, they were so packed, and many restaurants were charging a mandatory gratuity for any size group. When I went to Steamworks, for example, I was just with my girlfriend, but they charged us an 18% gratuity on top of our bill. They wouldn’t even serve me their beer tasters, which I usually enjoy ordering there. They said that they weren’t going to be serving them during the Olympics. It wasn’t even busy when I was there in the middle of the afternoon, so I wasn’t too impressed with that.

I thought the Games themselves were very enjoyable. My favorite events this year (as usual) were the hockey, all the figure skating, and curling events. The biggest event of all was the final hockey game between USA and Canada, which is always guaranteed to attract the attention of the masses. But who could afford to go see these events in person? Not very many people, especially the common resident of Vancouver. I was able to attend just one event, which was a qualification round for curling with 8 countries playing simultaneously. At $65 per ticket, it was pretty well the only thing within reach for me.

At the curling rink for the 2010 Winter Games. Canada played against Japan.

The biggest celebration of all, by far, was on the final day of the Olympics before the Closing Ceremonies. That was when Canada played against the USA for the gold medal in hockey. It was the first time in my life that I couldn’t get into a single pub no matter how far I walked or how hard I tried. People were lined up in front of pubs and restaurants before they even opened. It was after Canada won the gold medal, though, that the city really erupted with crowds of cheering fans. I don’t think Downtown Vancouver will ever be that busy again. When I was walking around with some friends afterward, there were times when I literally almost got crushed, especially at the Granville/Robson intersection.

Robson Street after Canada won the gold medal in hockey

All in all, I can say the first-hand Olympic experience was quite an awesome one, and it really was a 17-day party, as so many have described it. As a 7-year resident of this city, I was glad to see Vancouver transformed into the center of world attention for a short time, and I thought all the high quality attractions and wild parties of celebration that went along with it were fabulous. Now that the party is over, though, I’m happy about that, too. It went on just long enough, gave us what we had been craving for, and left us with good memories of being in the middle of the greatest Olympics of all time (so far).

I should mention that the 2010 Paralympics will be taking place in Vancouver from March 12-21. This event only has a fraction of the popularity that the Olympics has, but there should be some exciting things to do during that time. I already have tickets to the Opening Ceremonies, which were just $65 each compared to the $1000 price tag for the Olympics Opening Ceremonies, and the lineups for the Zip Line and the Royal Canadian Mint should be many times shorter. This will be a good opportunity for the residents of Vancouver to make up for all the things we missed during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

I just got back from checking out the big House of Switzerland 2010 Olympics opening party at  Granville Island.

The doors opened for the party at 4:30 today, and when I got there at around 5:00 pm, there was already a line formed outside. That meant that it was already full inside. Still, people were able to slowly inch in as others left, and I eventually made it inside.

My first view after getting off the ferry

The building that is being used as the House of Switzerland is actually the very popular Bridges restaurant that most people in Vancouver are familiar with. If you check it out now, though, you will notice that the name Bridges is covered up with what looks like a cutout of mountain climber.

As I slowly entered the doorway, I was given an entry form to win a trip for two to Switzerland, and I got to pick up several samples of Lindt chocolates — they were given out very generously by people carrying them around in small buckets. They also had a couple of servers going around with trays loaded with bite-sized servings of cheese and some kinds of meats. I got to try a few, and they were quite tasty. It was really slow going, though, and many times I was just stopped and waiting for the people in front of me to start moving again.

It was way too crowded,with standing room only for latecomers.

The Lindt booth. No big surprise there.

The following info, taken from the House of Switzerland website, outlines the events, activities, and contests that will be taking place there:

• A Grand Opening event for media, VIP’s and the public (that’s what I went to today)
• Medal ceremonies and celebrations for Swiss Athletes
• Lindt & Sprüngli chocolate giveaways, demonstrations and contests
• ‘Swiss Days’ celebration of traditional Swiss culture
• Daily give-aways from Zimtstern – Switzerland’s most technologically advanced and stylish snowboard and streetwear clothing company
• Swiss Chef’s, who have added Swiss specialty dishes to the local menus
• Live broadcasts of Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games
• Complimentary Pure Swiss bottled water for each guest
• Children’s Entertainment by the famous Globi — the “Mickey Mouse” of Switzerland
• Personalized Nespresso coffee, served by World Barista Champion Sammy Piccolo
• Ricola give-away day
• Free samples from Cheeses of Switzerland
• ‘Swiss Biscuit Day’ with free samples from Swiss biscuit maker HUG
• Live music with musicians from St. Moritz – daily ten-minute sets
• Switzerland’s Official Broadcast studio set-up in Bridges Restaurant
• VIP treatment for media, including complimentary laptops and wireless internet
• A Digital Host providing an instant line of contact through twitter and facebook — watch for twitter contests and “tweet-ups”
• A VALENTINE’S DAY SURPRISE – yet to be revealed
• A chance to win a trip for two to St. Moritz Switzerland in Whistler and Vancouver – valued at $10,000 including 5-star accommodation at luxurious Hotel Kempinski or Hotel Badrutt’s Palace
• And much more!

Really, I didn’t feel comfortable in there at all, but that was because it was just way too crowded at the time and people behind me were always trying to move forward so that I couldn’t really stop and enjoy anything for even a minute. I should have known better than to go there for the opening party, though. On other days, I’m sure it will be much better (well, maybe not tomorrow), and you’ll be able to relax, sit down, eat, have a beer, etc. You should really try to check it out if you have a chance.

This year, I decided to check out the Polar Bear Swim for the first time since I’ve been living in Vancouver. Usually, I would just wait for the news and watch it on TV, but thought I’d do something a bit different this year. After all, I am living just a 10 minute walk from English Bay.

Well, I set off for the beach around 20 minutes before the big sprint and plunge, but I almost decided to turn back half way there because it was just pouring rain. The rain was pretty well as heavy as it can get, and even though I had an umbrella, my shoulders and sneakers were getting soaking wet. Before I had a chance to wuss out, though, I saw a guy walking past me wearing just a bathrobe with no umbrella, on his was to participate in the polar bear swim, so I decided to keep going.

Quite a crowd for such a rainy day

Unfortunately, I couldn’t get very close. I decided to stay up on the sidewalk to get a higher angle, and also, there was quite a bit of mud on the slope below. I got a good laugh at seeing some people trying to jump down off the sidewalk to the grass below, only to land on their butts and slide down in the mud, and decided myself not to be the subject for someone else’s laughter.

Then they were off! I almost couldn’t imagine being almost naked like so many of the people there, standing in the cold rain, and then running into the icy cold water. Dozens of people started splashing in and some screamed as they submerged their bodies. There were several who swam out pretty far, too.

How do they do it? You can't help but respect a person who can tough this out.

I saw one lady walking back wearing a bikini. Her skin looked a bit pink from the cold, and she didn’t have a towel or umbrella. She just kept walking calmly, and then crossed the street and disappeared around the block. Apparently, she was living in the area, and had just walked out of her apartment in her bikini to do the Polar Bear Swim, and then went back home again.

Why do so many people go through the trouble? I just got through checking many websites to try to find out if the swim actually has a purpose other than to give someone a sense of accomplishment. I could see in some other cities that participants are required to raise a minimum amount of money in pledges before being able to participate, but I couldn’t find any reference to this being done in Vancouver. All I could find out about the Polar Bear Swim in Vancouver is that participants can receive a commemorative button.

Interestingly, the Polar Bear Swim is mentioned in the nomination for a Darwin Award in 2000 to a man who attempted to swim a short distance from one ice hole to another and didn’t resurface. According to the Darwin Award site, Darwin Awards are given to “commemorate those who improve our gene pool by removing themselves from it.”